Mail-bag crane.



GJJ. FORD. MAIL BAG CRANE. APPLICATION FILED DEO.7,1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

2' sums-5111131 1.

witnesses G J. FORD. MAIL BAG CRANE. APPL'IOAIION FILED DEG. 7,1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SKEBT 2.

' 'a'mmntoz GeoryeJFord 3r a GM;

in the county of Adams and State of will readily appear vcntion better understood, the same con- GEORGE .T. hour, or QUINCY,

ILLINOIS.

MAIL-BAG CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application filed December '7, 1908. Serial No. 466,367.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE J. Form, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy,

Illinois, have invented certain new and useful IHXIHOVGBlGlllS in Mail-Bag Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for ham dling mail bags, and especially for delivering the same to a railroad train while the latter is in motion; and it has for its objects to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

Vith these and other ends in view which as the nature of the insists in the improved construction of the apparatus which is generally known as a mail bag crane, and which serves to hold the mail bag exposed in a positionto enable it to be engaged by the fork connected with the mail car of the train; a special object of the invention being to so construct the said crane that, while not in use, the constituent parts of said crane shall be spaced such a distance from the track as to preclude contact between any portion ofthe crane and any portion of a passing train, or between the crane and a person leanii'ig from the cab of the engine, thus avoiding all liability of .accidents such as are now occasionally caused by engineers and train-hands being struck and injured by parts of mail cranes extending in the path of trains.

Further objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the general construction and operation of the mail crane.

With these and other. ends in View which will readily appear as the nature o?- the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter: fully described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a sim lo and preferred form of,

the invention, it cing, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations andmodifications-within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings-Figure view illustrating the crane and showing l isapers'pective mproved mail ba also a portion of a mail car with the fork or catcher extended. Fig,

nccted with the beam 14 near '2 is a side elevation of the improved mail bag crane. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4; is a front elevation of the upper portion of the crane.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The post or upright 5, which is arranged adjacent to and suitably spaced from a railroad track, is provided near its upper end with cross-bar 6, arranged parallel, to the track. The cross-bar 6 supports two segmental members 7 and 8, the lower one of which, 7, is firmly and securely attached to the cross-bar 6, while the upper segment 8 is connected with the cross-bar (i, by means of hinges 9, permitting said segment to swing freely inan upward direction. lhc seg ments 7 and 8 are approximately semicircular, and the upper hinged segment is equipped with a Weight 10.

The post or upright 5, is provided upon its face or side adjoining the railroad track with hooks 11, engaged by the eyes 12,.upon bolts 13, that extend through a vertically disposed beam l l, which in this manner is hingedly supported upon the post or upright 5. 'The beam H is provided near its outer end with a forwardly extending arm 15, provided near its outer end with a in the nature of a ring 16, which is'suitably connected with said arm; the outer extr'emity of the latter being provided with a knob "or enlargement l7. A similar arm 15 having a stop member 16 and, a terminal knob or enlargement 17' is hingedlyconthe lower end of the latter by means of a transverse pin or bolt 18, passing three 11 said beam and through the inncrend o the arm 15, which is bifurcated, as shown'at 19, to'engage the beam. 15' to swing downward to the position indicatcd in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawm The arm 15 at the upper end of the beam 14 extends between the segments 7 and 8, and it normally rests and slides upon the lower stationary segment 7, while the 11 per hinged segment 8, under the influence o the weightf10, exerts a downward pressure upon said ar'm,which is frictioua'lly engaged by the segment; the latter is provided intermediate its ends witli a notch 20, adapted toiacconnuodate the arm 15 which latter, when in"engagcment withsaitl notch, oc-

stop-member This construction permits the arm ,cupies aposition at right angles. to the railroad track, and points from the opposite or upright directly toward the track.

The post 5 is provided near its lower end with a short arm or bracket 21, having an eye 22' with which is connected a flexible element, such as a chain 23 carrying a padlock 24. \Vhen the arm 15 is lowered, and the beam 14: is swung to a position in which the arm 15 is approximately parallel to the track andto the cross-bar 6, the arm 15 may be engaged by the chain 23 and secured by the padlock 24 to prevent tampering with the crane by unauthorized persons.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the improved device has been shown in active operation, a mail bag 25 having been shown supported upon the arm 15 and held by the arm 15 in position to be engaged by the fork or catcher 26 connected with the mail car 27,

of a passing train. The impact of the fork against the mail bag will cause the'beam 14- carrying the arms 15, 15 to swing upon its hinges, permitting the mail bag to be detached from the arms by the fork or catcher,

as will be well understood. The device is retained securely in position for operation by the arm 15, being engaged by the'notch 20, in the segment 8, and the latter will frictionally engage the ar1n15 in such a manner as to prevent said arm from rebounding after the delivery of the mail bag. As soon as the mail bag is detached from the crane, the arm 15 drops to an approx-imatcly vertical position and it may then be secured by the locking device previously described, thus preventing the beam 1 L from swinging upon its hinges and presenting the arm 15 in the direction of the railroad track.

Under the construction described, it will be seen that all parts of the crane are normally spaced or removed from the track a sufiicient distance to positively prevent any accident being caused by contact between the crane and a passing train, or a person leaning from the train.

The construction is sim le and inexpensive and thoroughly efficient or the purposes for which it is provided.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a mailbag crane, an upright supported adjacent to a railroad" track and havj ing a cross-bar disposed in parallel relation to the track, a segment secured upon the cross-bar and extending toward the track, a segment hingedly supported upon the cross-bar above the, stationary segment, a beam hinged upon the post or upright and having an arm projecting between the segments, said arm being slidably supported having a cross-bar, a segment secured upon the cross-bar, a weighted segment hingedly connected with the cross-bar above the stationary segment, hooks upon the face of the post or upright, a beam having eye-bolts engaging said hooks, an arm connected with the upper end of the beam and projecting between segments normally resting'and slidably supported upon the lower segment, an arm hingedly connected with the lower end of the beam, a bracket near the lower end of the post, and securing means including a flexible element, such as a chain, and a padlock connected with said bracket and adapted to engage the hinged arm.

4. In a device of the character described, a post or 'upright having a cross-bar provided with a stationary and hinged segment, a beam hingedly connected with the post and having an arm projecting between the segments, said arm being slidably supported upon the lower stationary segment and frictionally engaged by the upper hinged seg ment, and an arm hingedly connected with the lower end of the hinged beam; said arms being provided near their outer ends with stop-members and having their outer eX-' tremities formed with knobs 'or enlargements. In testimony whereof I afilx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- GEORGE J. FORD.- IVitnesses:

WILLIAM A. ZUMSTEG, JOHN F. GARNER. 

